Quiet
| "Quiet" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Smashing Pumpkins | |
| Released | July 27, 1993 |
| Studio sessions | |
| Length | 3:41 |
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Corgan |
"Quiet" is the second track from The Smashing Pumpkins' second studio album, Siamese Dream. It was written by Billy Corgan and is also featured on Vieuphoria and the audio-only counterpart, Earphoria. Corgan intended "Quiet" to be a swipe at his parents, after he was sick of being criticized.[1]
| “ | The intro is 3 or 4 short guitar licks that we ran into the K2500 and processed heavily. We didn't use midi, so I had to "fly" the bits back to tape pushing the trigger button…it was tricky to get the timing right. | ” |
| — Butch Vig, Gearslutz interview, 2009 | ||
According to the Siamese Dream guitar tab book, the zooming noises at the beginning of the song are inspired by a record Corgan had as a kid. The record had the sounds of various race cars on it, which he would listen to all the time.[2][3]
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
Quiet
I am sleeping
In here
We need a little hope
For years
I've been sleeping
Helpless
Couldn't tell a soul
Be ashamed
Of the mess you've made
My eyes never forget, you see
Behind me
Silent
Metal mercies
Castrate
Boys to the bone
Jesus
Are you listening?
Up there
To anyone at all
We are the fossils
The relics of our time
We mutilate the meanings
So they're easy to deny
Be ashamed
Of the mess you've made
My eyes never forget, you see
Behind me
Quiet
I am sleeping
Quiet
I am sleeping
Quiet
I don't trust you
I can't hear you
Be ashamed
Of the mess you've made
My eyes never forget, you see
Behind me
Behind me
The grace of falling snow
Cover up everything you know
Come save me from the awful sound
Of nothing
Song secrets[edit | edit source]
- Around 2:40-3:00, you can faintly hear Corgan singing in the background in the right or left channel at various times. The vocals are hard to decipher, as they are buried in the mix. Sometimes it sounds like "I know you want to hit me".[4]
- As Billy sings "I can hear you now", another voice (most likely Butch Vig's) can be heard saying, "We're recording, we're recording", presumably in response to Corgan's aforementioned ad-libbed singing.
- The 'Yeah!' lyric is obscured by the screech of the guitars during the start of the solo. Refer to the Siamese Dream guitar tab book for confirmation.[2] Some fans think it is actually "Kill!"[4]
- At the very end, you can hear "cartoon noises" played sort of fast and warbly.[4]
Availability
| Title | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet and Other Songs | Demo • Bootleg | |
| Siamese Dream | Original release | Studio |
| 3 Feet High | Bootleg • Live | |
| Vieuphoria | Video | |
| Earphoria | Main release | Live |
| The Killer in You: A Tribute to Smashing Pumpkins | Tribute | |
| Rarities and B-Sides | Compilation | |
| Inside the Dream Machine | Bootleg • Live | |
| Siamese Dream (Fruit Bats cover) | Tribute | |
| Smashing Pumpkins 4/12/94 | Live |
Tour stats
- Total plays: 152 plays (147 full, 5 tease, 1 soundcheck)
- First performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 1992-11-30 at Point, Atlanta, GA, US
- Last performance: The Smashing Pumpkins 2022-10-27 at Videotron Centre, Quebec City, CA
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Gladstone, Eric. "Psychic Reliquaries and Separation Anxiety ", Alternative Press. August, 1993.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Stang, Aaron; Aledort, Andy. Smashing Pumpkins -- Siamese Dream Songbook: Guitar/TAB/Vocal. ISBN 089898825X.
- ↑ Originally submitted by Trail.of.roses for Landslide’s Omnipedia
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Landslide-Omnipedia: Siamese Dream Era-Quiet". Retrieved July 31, 2020.